#gaaaaah that was sweet of them

[cruisingheightswithdragons]

With Friends Like These…

The sky was pitch black, given that the overcast skies blocked out the light from the moons. It was lucky, then, that Dah’ni could see in the dark. The swamps of Hjaalmarch were alive with sound as crickets chirped and unseen frogs croaked. It would have been a serene moment, if Dah’ni hadn’t just escaped being kidnapped and forced to kill.

They turned back to see the abandoned lodge they were held in through the fog as they strode further away. Their kidnapper was a woman who had welcomed them into her “family” upon the condition of khajiit taking the lives of the other hostages inside. Needless to say, Dah’ni now had a family waiting for them within the forests of Falkreath.

It was just a matter of getting there now, to say nothing of returning to their home in Whiterun where their party was hopefully waiting for them. Perhaps one of them awoke to the sound of Dah’ni’s capture, or they all slept through it. It was the middle of the night, after all. Regardless, the khajiit wanted first and foremost to return home to their friends, Kharjo, Lydia, and Taliesin.

Could that Altmer be a friend? Or is he perhaps looking for his chance to sell them out? Dah’ni shook away those thoughts. With Lydia and Kharjo to keep their eyes on him, there was no way he’d have the chance to return to the Thalmor— that’s what Dah’ni hoped at least. They still didn’t trust that he was telling the truth about him abandoning the Thalmor…

The snap of a twig brought the khajiit out from their thoughts and back to the present. Walking for so long had led Dah’ni out of the marshes and into the snow. Ears perked, they looked around and parted their jaws to let the scent glands on the roof of their mouth get an idea of what could be nearby.

By the time they caught the putrid scent of a bear, the beast came shambling out from the shadows of the trees, grunting and growling as it glared hungrily into its newfound prey. Dah’ni stiffened as they searched their person for their bow or axe, but only then just noticed that they were unarmed and defenseless, recalling having used their thu’um back at the abandoned lodge. Their weapons and armor were in their house in Whiterun, meaning they were in nothing but their sleepwear! The gods were playing a cruel trick on them this night.

The bear bellowed out a roar and charged. Dah’ni’s tail bristled and they spat, hissing at its foe. They unsheathed their claws, and were intent to ward off their adversary. The bear slammed its broad head into the khajiit, knocking them onto the ground. The beast reared up onto its hind legs, ready to slam heavy, clawed paws onto Dah’ni.

Before the creature could loose its weight onto its prey, an ice spike made its way from the shadows of the wilderness and lodged into the bear’s shoulder. Another found its way into the bear’s thigh. The beast roared and set itself onto all fours, its eyes glistening with pain as it rounded back to its pursuers.

“You want them? You’ll have to get through us, first!”

Taliesin…?

Dah’ni could see their friends erupting from the snow. Lydia readied her Nordic sword to slice through the creature, while Kharjo charged with his steel war hammer. Taliesin’s hands glistened with glowing frost as he prepared another ice spell.

Kharjo came first and swung his hammer at the bears legs before it had a chance to react. The creature fell to its side, roaring in pain from the impact. Taliesin’s ice spikes sunk into its flank, pinning it to the ground while Lydia finished it off by slicing its neck with a downward slash. The bear shook with a quick spasm before lying still in the blood stained snow.

Taliesin was quick to rush to Dah’ni’s side, looking them over for injuries. “What were you thinking going off on your own?” He scolded. Was that concern etched in his voice?

Dah’ni laid in the snow motionless, jaw dropped in astonishment. Slowly, they got up from the snow with the help of their Altmer companion, shaking their wool clothing to free it from snow chunks lodged into the fabric. “How did these ones find khajiit?” They asked.

Lydia spoke first. “Taliesin woke us up and said you were missing, and wanted to look for you right away,” she explained, “He had Kharjo sniff out your scent, so we followed the trail and it led us here.”

Dah’ni’s ears perked up and they glanced at the Altmer. “This is true?” They could scarcely believe that it was him of all people who was first into action to retrieve them. He really was worried? A warm feeling rose into their chest, but was swiftly pushed away.

The elf huffed and regained his composure. “Well, if my own captor was held hostage, what would that make me?” Taliesin jeered sarcastically, “Now that would be embarrassing enough.”

“Khajiit picked up another scent that kept up with your own,” Kharjo said, “You were taken, yes?”

Dah’ni nodded as they approached the rest of the group.

Taliesin unsheathed his dagger he lovingly named Berwhale. “I suppose a manhunt is in order?” He asked, “We can’t very well let these scoundrels walk free after this!”

“Not necessary.” Dah’ni held up a hand to silence him.

Taliesin gasped dramatically, putting a hand over his chest as if he had just been victim to the worst offense one could pull. “You were kidnapped! Need I remind you?”

Lydia took a step forward. “You’re usually quick to fight bandits, whoever they are, so I have to agree,” She said, casting a quick glance at the Altmer who returned the gesture. “It’s not like you to turn down a chase.”

“You are right about that.” Dah’ni laughed. They turned back to where the bear lay before gazing further into the fog and snow from where they had come from. It had been enough time to mull over their options. Whatever that woman was talking about in that lodge seemed to hold a lot of promise. They figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring themself to visit their newfound family. It was settled, then. Returning to their companions, the Khajiit spoke again. “As soon as I’ve got my things back, I suggest we take a trip to the forests of Falkreath…”

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

The Apothecary Diaries

S1E16 First Watch

Here's where I watch The Apothecary Diaries for the first time and give my thoughts, analysis, predictions, and occasionally I stumble into a joke.

To start at the beginning:

Episode 1

My character/locations cheat sheet

Suiren - Jinshi's attendant

Lakan - mysterious officer

Basan - an officer who works in the palace

Jinshi is deeply divided on whether he should have allowed Lakan access to Maomao. He's going to feel pretty guilty if things go badly.

Jinshi explains the details of the case of the metalworker's estate to Maomao. She's always interested in a mystery.

Jinshi: What's with all the sudden enthusiasm?

Dude is asking a question he knows the answer to.

Solving mysteries is where Maomao shines. Jinshi knows this better than anyone. It's one of the things that knocked him head-over-heels for this lady. But he's a little ticked at how easily Lakan was able to hook Maomao's interest. Lakan who hasn't even met Maomao yet, knew exactly how to lure her out. Perhaps Jinshi was hoping that Maomao would refuse, and release him from the deal he made with Lakan. Why did he agree to this? Jinshi is supremely uneasy with all of it.

As the conversation progresses Jinshi takes a more comfortable position on the couch, no longer bothering to behave as a proper palace official or even an employer in front of Maomao. Rather his pose is more like the casual sprawling one might do with family or friends. Jinshi is so persistent in how he stays open and inviting to Maomao, even in his body language. In this scene, Maomao is kneeling properly at the low table. Her body language is formal.

Lakan had provided an address to follow up with the mystery if it intrigued Maomao.

Maomao: How well prepared. It's like he anticipated this happening.

I do not like this at all. This Lakan is too good at maneuvering Maomao and Jinshi.

Maomao request a day off to look in to the case, and Jinshi is not happy. Not because she's missing work around the residence, but because she walked so willingly into Lakan's well laid plan for her. He's probably also pissed at himself for allowing this, but apparently Jinshi really wants to know the rest of Lakan's courtesan story. Jinshi can't see what Lakan has planned, and he's very worried about Maomao. Suiren is completely fine with Maomao leaving. Smiling and waving? Is she actually happy that Maomao is leaving, or is she looking forward to drowning her in work when she returns? I can't read her yet. I miss Lady Gyokuyou and the Jade Pavilion ladies who were so sweet.

Basan. Another mystery. Damn those golden eyes! Who else had eyes like that?! Maomao said he looks familiar, and he does, but like who? Gaaaaah!

Basan is suppose to escort Maomao on her investigation, and he's still acting like an ass, and I'm still wondering when I can see Jinshi fight him again. Maomao says she can tolerate his bad attitude, since she views him as harmless. That's good, because sometimes with trauma, especially from sexual trauma, aggression can be a trigger. I don't like that she has to just put up with this guy's pissy attitude.

Fuck me, Basan and Gaoshun?! Well a blood relationship between the two at least explains why Jinshi and Gaoshun feel comfortable letting this guy go all around the palace with Maomao. Is Basan a child of Gaoshun or like a nephew or something? Is this going to be enough for Maomao to at least question if Gaoshun is a eunuch or not? No. The answer is no, but she should!

Of course Maomao solves the mystery that was left by the metalworker for his sons. A majority of this episode is spent unraveling this mystery, but as far as I can tell the details aren't important to the larger story, so I'm not going to bother describing the twists and turn of it. Basically we get to see how a father would rather go to extreme lengths to create a puzzle for his sons to try to solve upon his death, then give them words of encouragement or advice while he was still alive. The youngest son tries to reconcile the family by passing on compliments he heard his father say in private and never directly to his children. Maomao wisely bows out of that bullshit, but suggests they seek medical treatment from Luomen if they develop symptoms like their father had.

On the return trip, Basan gives Maomao a considering look. Perhaps he's starting to see how brilliant and capable she is? Maybe he will try to rein in his bad attitude where it comes to Maomao? Or maybe... he will fall in love with her! I don't know why I'm looking for more drama from this show, it's already angsty enough. Even so, maybe a romantic rival would help push Jinshi and Maomao past the standstill they've come to.

Lakan is back. He thanks Jinshi for Maomao's work, which I understand within the context of this show, but it still pisses me off. It smacks of misogyny as it's a subtle way of affirming Jinshi's ownership of Maomao, and demonstrates Lakan's lack of respect for women and servants.

Lakan then goes on to explain what happened sounding far too pleased, like he's already gotten everything he wanted. Jinshi knows all of this is part of a stratagem from Lakan, but what his goal is, is yet unclear. Jinshi doesn't know what happened on Maomao's outing (in his head he refers to her as "the apothecary," here which I find odd). She never reported back about her findings. And maybe that is what has Lakan looking so smug. He's uncovered that truth that Maomao is Jinshi's courtesan in name only. And even though Jinshi may be trying to hide what he feels for Maomao from Lakan, I'm sure Lakan is aware. Maomao is a soft spot to attack or control Jinshi.

Jinshi notes that Lakan is very good at discovering people with talent. And now his attention has landed on Maomao. He talks about the three sons each finding their proper place, and I can't help but think that Lakan believes "finding one's proper place," also applies to Maomao and Jinshi. It's possible that Lakan is insinuating something to Jinshi about him not being in his proper place; perhaps he knows something about Jinshi's true identity. But more likely Lakan is thinking that Maomao is not in her proper place here in Jinshi's residence. Lakan gave her a test and he was delighted by her ability to pass it. Does he intend to remove Maomao from Jinshi's employ? This guy is definitely not done with Maomao.

Lakan: The late metalworker's creations were absolutely remarkable though. There was this simple looking metal piece, that when combined with a ritual utensil... it looked truly magnificent.

I don't know what that thing is, but Lakan's scuzzy look combined with Jinshi's disgust is enough to tell me it's something terrible. What kind of ritual are they talking about here? Jinshi straight up lets us know that this is beneath him. What kind of ritual would be something that someone in Jinshi's position would never use? Jinshi knows that Lakan knows that this is not relevant or appropriate. Lakan so very clearly said it to see how Jinshi would react. And Jinshi is doing his best to hide his thoughts and reactions, but I get the feeling that Lakan can see everything. I can only guess based on the way my stomach feels nauseous watching this exchange that this item is used for something heinous like slavery or rape. Props to the storytellers here for freaking me out. I hope I'm wrong and the horrid thing is a spoon rest.

Lakan: I simply can't abide good talent being kept buried. ... Those who possess genius should receive the appropriate praise and attention.

He's going to take Maomao! Stop him Jinshi!

And Jinshi is actually VERY interested in Lakan's method of decreasing a courtesan's value. Is it that Maomao still owes money at Verdigris House? Is this time now at Jinshi's residence just boughten time, and not the end of her contract? Is this why Jinshi wants to know how to bring her price down? Does Lakan know that Maomao may still have a debt to Verdigris House?! Does he plan to buy out the rest of her time?! Hell no! I won't accept that! What the hell is happening?!

Lakan doesn't want to admit to the fucked up thing he did to that courtesan, so he tells Jinshi to ask Maomao how to reduce her price. This guy is terrible. He told Jinshi his messed up story then left off the part that Jinshi most wanted to know, with a promise to tell him if he could have a chance to test Maomao. Which Jinshi agreed to. When Maomao fulfilled her part, Lakan goes back on his word and refuses to say. Utter trash. And Jinshi let himself be sucked into Lakan's game. I hate all of this.

Then Lakan leaves a beverage for Jinshi's "serving maids," i.e. Maomao. WTF. I am so creeped out by this guy.

Lakan: Farewell. Until tomorrow that is.

Yeah, we're not getting rid of this guy any time soon.

Jinshi collapses the instant Lakan leaves. Yes, Jinshi is going to have to continue to deal with this nightmare who keeps making Jinshi's life difficult, but what is really bothering Jinshi is that he knows he fucked up. Lakan came to see how interested Jinshi is in his concubine, and baited him with his own story about a courtesan. And Jinshi showed him, that he is actually very interested in Maomao. Jinshi also let Lakan take Maomao's measure, knowing this guy has a knack for determining and using such talents. Jinshi is definitely going to blame himself for putting Maomao in this guys sights.

Gaoshun makes a request of Jinshi, that we don't get to hear about, but in the very next scene Jinshi is changing his clothes and asking Maomao to help him with some makeup so is he planning to go out in disguise somewhere? Is he going to visit the annex (one of these episodes will show me what it is!)? What did Gaoshun say to Jinshi? I guess we will find out next time, since that's where the episode ends!

I'm so creeped out by Lakan, but it feels like we are about to get into some plot stuff now, so I'm excited for that.

To start at the beginning:

Episode 1

Next Episode:

Episode 17

[caspersickfanfics]

aoxlfkakgjqkksajflqakahskcjabsjc

I am. Undone. I need 10-12 business days to recover from your fic 😭😭😭 (but like in the best way possible!!!)

angst like with partners fighting is Honeslty so scary to read sometimes!!! But!!! SOMEHOW you paint this beautiful picture of real and RAW upset and hurt and flaws AND ITS STILL OKAY IN THE END!!! there’s something so healing about that??? Like hello????? Because their bond is so much deeper than moments like this. I LOVED how vulnerable Tighnari was, his high standards for himself and his really VALID frustrations!!! Fuck that guy that sabotaged their letters that’s so (clever of you) but EVIL!! But also like, I loved his very human mistakes too! And his even more human break down 🥺🥺 he sounded so terrible and Just sooo defeated. I like to think Cyno stayed for days just silently but very specifically doting on him, making sure he had gentle foods to eat, extra protective, extra silly, and super reluctant to leave.

speaking of I know Tighnari is our caretaker king but I think cyno simply excels at creating safety and holding space for Tighnari. Cuz the anxiety he must have felt was so real!! I was feeling it as a reader lol 😂 but he trusts nari and chooses to breath and wait and meditate- like that’s so honestly goals and such a healthy response!!’ And then after that he’s just more than anything ready to hold Tighnari and meet him wherever he is and protect his heart and - GAAAAAH I can’t!!!!!! Like he may need a bit more instruction on how to heal people in the literal sense but I’m convinced he heals Tighnairs heart over and over again. 😭😭😭😭 this was so good- OH and the ENDING!!! so sweet and fluffy 🩷🩷🩷 I was so glad that nari was able to begin to relax a little, and make a joke WITH cyno aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! My HEART!!! and just nari scooping Cyno back because he demands more cuddles. Beautiful. I’m so proud of them I love them. I want what they have 😭😭 I LOVE your cynari fics!!

!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU?!?!? give me some days to cover recover from this ask please i have melted into a teary-eyed puddle

Okay, attempting to be coherent - I'm really glad you enjoyed it despite the extra tension of arguments. I had points while writing this where it was very stressful because of that, but I honestly just wrote and re-wrote until I found the words to make it comfortable for me, without taking away from the bite and the conflict. It ended up being surprisingly healing. I like the idea that emotions, even when they aren't expressed in the best ways, exist to inform us about ourselves and the people around us in a way that words sometimes fail, so I wanted to make sure something good would come from the conflict, in the end. I'm not sure I'm expressing this well, but - they care about each other enough to see bad behavior and go "that was wrong, but I still care about the hurt that's behind it because I trust your goodness and love your whole" and I think they are stronger for it (both individually and as a unit).

And yes that evil guy is not gonna have a fun time when Cyno's back at work 😈

Tighnari 🥺 he had such a rough time, our little fox guy. He was under so much stress already and the migraine and the storm on top of it :( If I were a fluff writer I'd absolutely write a whole extra chapter of Cyno coddling him, because he deserves it. They'd also figure out an actual plan for getting both of their needs met - Tighnari needing support with Collei, Cyno balancing that with his job demands. They probably set up weekly check-ins, so that if the communication is ever disturbed again, they'll know right away.

Regarding Cyno - outside of the unresolved trauma (it's there, but not always making itself known), I guess I headcanon him as being quite emotionally healthy! He doubts himself a lot because the trauma bits feel uncontrollable, but he's a good listener, and he cares, and I like to think he had to learn a pretty extensive degree of emotional control to manage Hermanubis at a very young age. There are some complexities there, where his initial instinct for himself is to numb or push the emotions away, associating strong feelings with danger and damage, but he has to have some logical understanding that emotions become dangerous when they're ignored for too long. So he tries to keep things unpacked, even if he prefers to do that when he's alone. Of course, he misses things sometimes.

All this to say - I agree!!! I think he manages his own worries and concerns and even grief really well in this fic. He knows they're there, takes a step back to check himself, and either embraces the feels or sets them aside for later based on what's most needed and productive for the situation. It goes along with "endurance vs. patience" - endurance relating to withstand poor circumstances (which is how he (correctly) interprets/internalizes Nari's temper); patience relating to response to wrongdoings (why the evildoer will have a Very Bad Time with Cyno). (No one asked but I interpret Tighnari as someone with a great capacity for both of these, but who is selective with when to utilize them)

Ugh the ending - I was cringing at myself and them but I now have a Need to include a bad Cyno joke whenever I write him 🤣 I am glad it added a bit of fluff and healing as well though!!

Wow I apologize for such a long response and like, an entire unsolicited character analysis, I think I'm still processing my own feelings about this fic 😂 😭 If anyone reads this far... thank you for your time?? ^^;;

[apriciticreveries]

໒꒰ྀིᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ꒱ྀི১ send these hearts 💗💖💞💕💓 to your favourite blogs to remind them how much you love and appreciate them! જ⁀➴

aaaaaaaaaaah thank you plip ! ! i really appreciate it, and i love and appreciate you too ! ! GAAAAAH YOU GUYS ARE TOO SWEET . . ( wraps you in warm blankets and hugs )

[characterworkshoppe]

Ahhhhhh totally random

But rn I'm imagining some of my fictional men interacting and it's so fun XD hehe

Arthur and Vyn have been here so long and them showing Law the ropes on how to support me is so sweet XD

Gaaaaah!

Life is just so much better with fictional men

[staytheword]

First I’ll start this by saying thank you so much for both of your series, I seriously wasn’t expecting to love them as much as I did. To the point where I had to sleep 1 hour before going to work because I’ve just binge read your series works.

The Jisung rockstar series made ME BAWL MY EYES OUT, you had me there for a moment, I really thought somewhere along the line they would really finish the HUGE fling they had and my heart just broke, no fic has ever put me in me tiptoes like this one did. I loved every second and I really felt like they deserved to be together. Also I love how your Y/Ns are always reckless, fuck the world why not Y/Ns, I lived for how logical but emotional your Y/Ns are. I was wondering what they’re up to now, few years gone by, did the band prosper or fail? Are Y/N and jisung still together or did fuckboi jisung appeared in the way? Did Y/N visit her hometown and meet her loving friend Changbin? PSPSPSPSPS a little taste please

Also the dilemma of an ex friend pulling a friend away from Changbin really hit home here. Thank you for your story, it really helped me heal a little bit and think how could things go in another perspective.

GAAAAAH I really really really loved Minho and Changbin biker series, another amazing series delivered amazingly by you. I love how you write the side characters and how their different personalities are so well executed, I love how you’re able to write a slow burn that isn’t slow at all, but doesn’t feel rushed neither. I love how different they all are, I loved every single bit and I loved even more how the poly couple complimented each other. I love how Y/N managed to be a wreck even though she worked with such gracious and innocent things like flowers. But my delulu romantic self kept wondering if older Minho ever settled down? I’d love to see how Y/N being a old lady would be, because of course the loving Changbin would make Y/N one, but Minho is just that missing piece to Y/N thunderstorm, like a little mirror to her. I wonder if Y/N ever ended up being Minho’s AND Changbin’s old lady. That would be the first and the best poly fic I’d prolly would find. Imagine a full house with the three of them, and probably their descendants, that would be fun to explain onto next generations. Surely a mark in history of the club.

Sorry for my English, it’s not my first language, and thank you again for your work!

hello ♡♡ I hope you are doing alright? I received this some time ago and I really really wanted to answer although I don't really write anymore, you have really made me smile and I wanted you to know that ♡

I hope you got more sleep after reading - and your english is great, really, omg ♡ thank you for everything you said, it is so sweet of you and it always moves me to realize that people actually get invested in the stories I write 😭 and that it could help you heal a little - that means a lot. that couldn't have been easy. in fact i know it isn't. so please accept this hug ♡♡

aaaaah I wish I had a little taste to give you about lmly!!!!! honestly, I don't really know. I never wrote more of them, maybe because in my heart they are living their best life and not caring what anyone else says or thinks. I'm not sure about the details, but really, I know they are happy ♡ (and ofc yn can never leave changbin alone... you can be sure she visits often)

i mean emotion IS the leading force in everything, i think. i sort of made that thinking my life's work in both writing and academia. so i appreciate it, really ♡ thank you for loving my characters. 😭

thank you also about roses. i've said this multiple times but this series was soooo fun to write, so to see that people have fun reading it is everything. "slow burn that isn't slow at all but isn't rushed either" i love this ♡ and for your questions, once more I don't have a lot of answers for you, I will let you imagine what you prefer ♡ buuut I will say that i don't think minho will have ever been able to stay far away, i'm sure he's lurking and a frequent guest in the household. the next generations will certainly hear about it :'') "that missing piece to yn's thunderstorm" that is so beautifully said 😭 you got it, anon. that makes me very emotional ♡♡

i'm so sorry i can't give you more, but it means a lot that you would have these questions, that you care about what happens to them in the future, i'm very touched and grateful for it. ♡♡ thank YOU for taking the time to write this to me, i'm sending you a lot of love and please take care!!!!! :) ♡♡♡

[slaasherslut]

Heya Slaashy! 💖👋

I dunno if you are (/still) doing the ship ask game or not, because I just saw the ask from Sol you answered 👀 if you don't do it then please just ignore this ask 🫶

We already write about Milo and AJ as friends, which I absolutely love and their friendship is really dear to me, but I wondered what you'd think about them as.. lovers? 👉👈

Also, if you don't mind, what do you think about Kari and AJ? Maybe not romantically speaking, but platonically? 👀

I wish you a lovely day 💖

For you Goldy, of course I am!

Milo x AJ are so sweet to me omg. Like weve talked about it before but theyre definitely gaming buddies who lug consoles and games to each others house for a weekend of gaming, movies, and AJ forcing Milo to eat decently🤣 She would see how he eats and be like "damn this man needs more vegetables" and cook him a decent meal with some fresh veggies from her garden. I can definitely see Milo falling for someone who makes him feel cared for that he can also have fun with and bond with. The two of them having a connection to spirits, Milo definitely likes having someone around who doesnt think hes crazy and that immediately makes him feel fuzzy inside. Like over the many weekend excursions he slowly starts to fall for her. Plus, AJ is totally his type. He can be attracted to any kind of girl but theres something he loves about a girl in a pretty dress or a pretty skirt.

I can see Kari x AJ as romantically involved but I definitely see them more as incredibly good friends, sisters almost. Like when I picture these two together, my first thought is the two of them walking through a shopping district. They're holding hands, talking and giggling while they pull each other into stores that capture their interest, maybe stopping at a cafe for lunch. Kari always has some little braids on the underside of her hair behind her ears and i could see her doing the same with AJ! Oh now im just picturing them sharing clothes and having sleepovers and getting brunch together GAAAAAH GOLDY THESE TWO WOULD BE SUCH SWEET FRIENDS IM MELTING AT THE THOUGHT OF IT everyone stop what youre doing its ✨️them✨️. Also sorry if this seemed like a jumble of thoughts thats how my brain is right now cause it wont stop thinking about them

[watchingspnagain]

Rewatching Time Is on My Side

Welcome to “He's not even staying caught up on his reading: A Supernatural Rewatch Blog” with Lor and Mace!

  Up today, s3e15: Time is on My Side.

    Dean's running out of time and Sam's getting desperate to save him, so Sam convinces his brother to head to Ohio to investigate cases of folks getting abducted and then waking up without certain organs. Secretly Sam suspects it's the reappearance of a zombie-like doctor their father hunted years ago, and he wants to learn the dude's secret to long life. Turns out it comes with a heavy price that Dean refuses to pay. Cue the gross-out organ harvesting scenes and fraught boys.

  Below is a log of our real-time reactions as we watched. Remember that there may be spoilers for any part of SPN’s 15-season run here. Note also that the nature of our conversation is adult and thus it may contain adult language and themes.

 [and we begin:]

  Lor:

cool. gross dudes.

  Mace:

  HA! YEP

  Lor:

maybe one of them will get a supernatural comeuppance

Mace:

  it’s just possible

  Lor:

juuuust maybe

  Mace:

snork

  Mace:

  EW

  Lor:

yeeeeah

  Mace:

  any nurse worth her salt wouldn’t react like that, I’d think

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

especially if she's an ER nurse or ER triage. come on

  Lor:

oh when will these demons learn that you don't insult a Winchester's family?

  Mace:

  he’s using the Dean Voice

  Lor:

he IS

  Mace:

  right?

  Lor:

like, don't they have a demon bulletin board on Hell Commons, or something?

  Mace:

HAHAHAHA

  Mace:

  oooof. Dean’s face

  Lor:

YES

  Mace:

  the other other white meat

  Lor:

LOL

  Lor:

"I mean, obviously, I want to hunt some ZOMBIES"

  Lor:

"excuse me. no, no we're very smart"

  Lor:

"you done?" " "I think so"

  Mace:

HAHAHAHA DEAN

  Mace:

  he’s hopped up on zombie excitement

  Lor:

he is

  Lor:

people are really bringing the sarcasm to the boys today

  Mace:

  they really are

  Lor:

"DUDE I'm EATING"

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

"antiques roadshow surgery" omg Dean

  Mace:

  YAS

  Lor:

SAM WINCHESTER stop trying to make Dean go off his food. poor muffin has three weeks to live

  Mace:

  I’m gonna have to go with Laura on this one, Sam. Maybe lay off a bit.

  Lor:

ooooo, Sammy. now you really know you've been bad

  Mace:

  *SNORK*

  Lor:

gaaaaah the heart monitor in the watch

  Mace:

  right?!

  Lor:

RUFUS

  Lor:

oh Sam

  Mace:

YES

  Mace:

  and yeah

  Lor:

oh no fraught brothers

  Mace:

YEP

  Mace:

  poor sweet stubborn yahoos

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

"Sammy, be careful" "you too"

  Lor:

you two numbnuts COULD just say you love each other. the world will not end if you actually say that to your brother

  Lor:

omg his little grin to the security camera

  Mace:

  SNORK YES

  Lor:

"don't ‘look man, me’"

  Lor:

and he immediately switches to sir

  Lor:

adorable

  Mace:

you know, if we were in the bunker, we wouldn’t ever let the fraught get so far. we’d sit them down and not let either of them go off on their own all poutypants

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

OMG Rufus's grin when Dean pulls out the scotch

  Lor:

YES

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

"because I know things"

  Lor:

I love him

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

"ain't you a bucket of sunshine"

  Mace:

  ooof. DEAN.

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

(also, serious fuck 327. if someone has been told his whole life he's gonna die awful or turn into a hollow husk of a man, you DON'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN AT THE END)

  Mace:

  (RIGHT?!?!)

  Lor:

he'll do anything once

  Mace:

omg DEAN WINCHESTER

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

LOLOL

  Mace:

  SAMMY NO

  Lor:

RIGHT?

  Lor:

Sam, this is where you turn around and get out and come back later with Dean

  Mace:

RIGHT?!

  Mace:

  I can’t believe we have to yell at him about this sort of thing AGAIN

  Lor:

silly Stringbean

  Mace:

  He may need punishing

  Lor:

SNORK

  Lor:

why would anyone want to live forever if all they do is find people to take their parts so they can keep living forever? like, he's not even staying caught up on his reading or anything

  Mace:

  HAHAHAHAHA OMG LOR I WAS JUST THINKING THAT

  Lor:

OMG I LOVE IT

  Mace:

  yas

  Lor:

OMG turning on the light switch with the gun

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

also the pinning to t wall

  Mace:

YAAASSSS

  Mace:

  HE’S SO STERN

  Lor:

he IS

  Lor:

oooof he lying

  Lor:

*her

  Mace:

Yep

  Mace:

  i knew what you meant

  Lor:

you good. I know you generally speak Lor gibberish

  Mace:

  HAHAHA

  Lor:

"whaddya mean no?"

  Mace:

OH DEAN

  Mace:

  yeah

  Lor:

oh Sam

  Lor:

oh god eye stuff

  Lor:

behind the sofa

  Mace:

YUP

  Mace:

EWEWEW

  Mace:

  smarty dean

  Lor:

YES

  Lor:

"wakey wakey eggs and bacy" omg

  Mace:

  YAS

  Lor:

I don't get the mechanics of this ep. if he's immortal to the point he can get stabbed and it doesn't matter, why do his organs wear out?

  Mace:

  right

  Lor:

I’m not usually fussed about that kind of handwavey stuff, but this one bugs me for some reason? maybe bc Sam thinks they can save Dean with it?

  Mace:

  yeah

  Lor:

omg the screaming over the black screen

  Mace:

  YES

  Lor:

dang she is cold

  Mace:

yep

  Mace:

  it was so totally Dean’s idea to use the sex dolls

  Lor:

DEFINITELY

  Lor:

dang, Dean's kinda cold here too. not that I think there's anything he could do in three minutes

  Mace:

he kinda is

  Mace:

  i think him being hard on her is him being hard on himself here

  Lor:

ooooo yeah

  Lor:

also he has no idea WHY she killed her parents, so he thinks she's just a greedy person who makes deals to kill family for money

  Lor:

and we all know how that kind of thing would go over with him

  Mace:

yeah

  Mace:

  this is one of the places where his knee-jerk judgement makes him just a little less than perfect

  Lor:

yep

  Lor:

which is part of why he's such a good character

  Mace:

  just a little, though

  Lor:

only a SMIDGE

[25mn]

Sour Cherry Pie Variations

To make Sharp Cherry Pie, you will require:

Elements for the twofold covering - Your standard suspects for an all-spread outside layer: flour, margarine, sugar, salt and ice water. Furthermore egg wash to brush the hull so it turns a wonderful brilliant earthy colored tone! Acrid Cherries - New is ideal, however frozen or canned work as well. Sweet cherries can likewise be utilized, yet I would then utilize some more lemon squeeze and lower how much sugar utilized so it's not overpoweringly sweet. Sugar Lemon juice Vanilla concentrate Almond remove - Just a touch! Almond remove adds an extremely fascinating flavor profile, however when utilized in overabundance it can demolish everything. Cornstarch - For thickening the natively constructed cherry pie filling. Margarine - I like to spot the loading up with a couple of shapes of spread, for additional extravagance! You can avoid this step assuming that you like.

Where could I at any point track down sharp cherries? Tragically, here in the US, new sharp cherries can be challenging to track down and are in season for a truly brief period: from June to July. They likewise don't keep going extremely lengthy whenever they are picked, which is the reason most supermarkets won't try selling them, so your smartest option would be a ranchers market or a pick-your-own homestead! (Here in New Jersey, Alstede Homesteads has them in the mid year - both at the ranch and at a few ranchers markets in North Jersey.)

Since they are extremely well known in Iranian food, you could likewise attempt Persian and Center Eastern stores, assuming you live almost one.

When you find these cherries, you will actually want to handily recognize them from their sweet cousins because of their size (more modest) and radiant red tone. They are additionally more delicate than the sweet assortment, so handle them tenderly!

In the event that you actually can't find tart cherries, simply head to the frozen passageway at your supermarket, where you will probably track down them in frozen structure!

A newly heated harsh cherry pie.

Step by step instructions to Make Cherry Pie Natively constructed pies can be very scary, however they don't need to be!

I used to be absolutely frightened of pies. All the chilling and "don't do this" and "you Need to do that" or "your pie will be a flat out calamity". Gaaaaah! There truly is a great deal of panic based manipulation where pies are concerned!

The truth? Pies are not that hard to make. Furthermore, in any event, when you misunderstand them, they are as yet delectable! In addition, how are you going to improve on the off chance that you don't rehearse?

Indeed, making pie without any preparation is somewhat of a beautiful source of both pain and joy. You'll need to trust that the hull will chill, you'll need to cook the filling (so you don't wind up with a runny pie as well as a wet base) and you should trust that the pie will cool prior to cutting. However, that doesn't mean it's troublesome! Only a tad tedious.

Lesson of the story? Heat the damn pie! 😉

Suggested devices and gear: food processor, cherry pitter (this one is great as well!), pie dish, moving pin, baked good wheel shaper.

Flour, sugar and salt in the food processor. Adding the virus spread. Pea size pieces structure and that is the point at which now is the right time to add the water. Showing the ice water being added. A photograph of when the batter begins shaping. A plate of pie mixture. This is the way I make this sharp cherry pie recipe. As usual, you will see as the printable (and more complete) variant of the recipe toward the finish of this post!

Stage 1: Set up THE Outside layer. In the food processor, join the flour, sugar and salt. Beat a couple of times to blend. Add the virus spread and heartbeat to cut the margarine into the flour, halting when the blend structures pea-size pieces. Gradually sprinkle freezing water, a smidgen at a time, pulsing until a mixture begins meeting up. You will see a couple of enormous bunches framing and that is the point at which you ought to quit adding water. Move the mixture to a delicately floured surface and, utilizing floured hands, accumulate it into an enormous ball. Partition this ball fifty and level them into plates. Then, at that point, cover each plate with cling wrap and refrigerate for something like 60 minutes (and as long as 2 days) prior to utilizing. Pitting the harsh cherries with a cherry pitter. A bowl of pitted cherries. Custom made cherry pie filling in a pot with a wooden spoon. Stage 2: MAKE THE CHERRY PIE FILLING! Begin by pitting the cherries, if utilizing new. I strongly suggest utilizing a cherry pitter for that, like this one (which pits 6 cherries all at once) or this one (which pits every cherry exclusively). Prior to cooking the filling, feel free to rub the hollowed cherries just to guarantee you haven't missed any pits! Nothing more regrettable than eating acrid cherry pie and gnawing into an undesired pit. In a little Dutch broiler or pot, join the hollowed cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook, over medium intensity, until the cherries have delivered a lot of juice. Blend the cornstarch in with a couple of tablespoons of water in a bowl. Dissolving in water will make it simpler to integrate into the filling! Assuming you're stressed over diluting the filling, you could take a ladleful of the delivered squeezes and break down the cornstarch in that. Mix in the disintegrated cornstarch and keep cooking until the filling thickens. Eliminate the filling from the intensity and mix in the vanilla and almond removes. Allow the cherry filling to cool prior to collecting the pie.

Moved pie batter. Pie outside layer in pie dish. Adding the filling to the pie outside layer. Cherry filling in pie dish. Making a cross section outside. Brushing with egg wash. Pie fit to be heated. A photograph of the prepared pie! Stage 3: Collect AND Prepare THE Sharp CHERRY PIE. Carry out one of the chilled pie circles on a floured surface until it's around 12 creeps in measurement. Move to a 9-inch pie skillet, cautiously squeezing the batter into the base and sides of the dish. Empty the filling into the hull, spreading it equitably with a spatula. Then, at that point, dab it with 3D shapes of cold margarine. That isn't compulsory, yet I find that it makes this pie additional rich and flavorful! Carry out the second plate to 12-inch round and utilize a baked good wheel (sharp blade or pizza shaper likewise work) to cut ten 3/4-inch wide strips. Orchestrate the strips on top of the filling, shaping the cross section. How would I make a grid? You'll begin by spreading out 5 equal strips, with around 1/2-inch space between them. Then, at that point, crease back each and every other strip and spot a strip oppositely to the equal strips you have proactively laid. Unfurl the collapsed strips over the strip you recently positioned, then crease back the strips that are under the strips you recently collapsed. Lay another opposite strip, then unfurl the collapsed strips. Rehash, cautiously stringing strips over and under, until the cross section is finished. Press the edges of the strips into the base hull edges to seal. Woodwind or pleat edges of outside layer. Brush the grid hull with egg wash, then, at that point, sprinkle with sugar. Heat at 425ºF for 15 minutes, then, at that point, lessen temperature to 375º and keep baking until the covering is brilliant brown and the filling is effervescent, around 45 - an hour longer. Assuming you notice that the outside layer is sautéing excessively fast, cover with foil or with a pie hull safeguard. Eliminate pie from broiler and let it cool prior to serving.

Olivia's Tips For best outcomes, refrigerate all your pie covering elements for something like 30 minutes prior to making the hull. For the best tasting covering, utilize high-fat, European-style like Plugra or Président. In the event that a cross section covering appears to be threatening, you can do a standard top outside. Simply make a point to cut some vent openings so the steam can get away, generally your pie will get wet! In the case of utilizing frozen cherries, defrost them then, at that point, place them in a colander to deplete and get ride of any overabundance water from ice gems. A serving scene: A couple of cuts in plates a few cuts still in the pie dish. You can likewise see a bowl of new harsh cherries, a couple of forks and a napkin.

Serving Ideas Cherry pie is generally served warm or at room temperature. It goes perfectly with some whipped cream or, in the current style, with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt!

On the off chance that you've heated your pie ahead and have to warm it to serve warm, I suggest doing it in the broiler, at 250ºF assuming the pie is at room temperature or 350ºF is the pie is cold. Simply leave your pie in the stove for 15-20 minutes if warming cuts, or as long as 30 minutes for an entire pie.

Sour Cherry Pie Variations While an exemplary cherry pie is a gem in itself, switching things around a bit is consistently fun!

The following are a couple of ideas:

Utilize sweet cherries in the event that you can't track down harsh cherries. All things considered, decline how much sugar to 2/3 cups and increment the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. You can likewise make this pie with rainier cherries or dark cherries. Make a piece fixing, or streusel, rather than a cross section outside. Simply blend 1 cup of earthy colored sugar in with 1 cup flour, then, at that point, add 1/4 cup spread and work into the sugar/flour combination with a fork until consolidated and brittle. Top the pie with this blend prior to baking! Make a dark timberland cherry pie by utilizing a chocolate pie hull as well as by adding a layer of chocolate ganache under the cherry pie filling. Here is a great recipe! Substitute a portion of the cherries with your number one berries, like blueberries or blackberries, for a blended berry/cherry pie! A nearby of a newly prepared cherry pie.

Capacity and Freezing Directions As per the USDA, organic product pies are protected to be left (covered!) at room temperature for as long as two days, because of their high sugar and corrosive substance, which hinder microorganisms development. Be that as it may, assuming you favor you can store it in the ice chest, where it will keep well - covered freely with cling wrap or foil - for as long as 5 days!

Sharp cherry pie can likewise be frozen for up to 3-4 months! Just let it cool totally, then wrap firmly with foil or cling wrap and spot in a cooler pack. When prepared to serve, defrost for the time being in the cooler and warm in the broiler - at 350ºF - until warm, around 30 minutes. I prescribe protecting the outside layer to keep it from getting excessively brown.

[amberyartsy]

Hux and Damien is awesome. Gav and FL also. Love them all!

But I am about to be on my BS with this:

Have you considered Lasko and Cam?

Like Cam would be so patient and bring this man some much needed peace. And Lasko would be so grateful and just all the sweet affection and just GAAAAAH!

I am not accepting criticism at this time. Thank you!

[dustofthedailylife]

first, congrats on 500 followers!!! second, i was the anon who asked about the three characters so have fun picking, i can’t wait to see who you choose! anyway, here’s my submission:

type of letter: confession letter

character: ayato, thoma, or zhongli

alias: actinium

hobbies: creating art (drawing, painting, etc), reading, listening to music, playing games, etc

likes: joking around, media/ cinematography, good meals, the rain/ cloudy weather, music, games, books, cooking, walks, learning about new things, cold weather, wearing layered/baggy clothes, mundane things (doing laundry and going grocery shopping), etc

dislike: extremely loud places, lady bugs/ bugs in general, kids, hot weather, super crowded places, outright mean people, sweet food (mainly things like candy), etc.

→ Letters from the Heart // 500 Follower Celebration Event

A/N: BY THE SEVEN AND CELESTIA! I now know why you couldn't choose one out of the three, and now I had the honor of having to do that (spoiler alert, it was tough). Both Ayato and Zhongli are like my 11/10 favs and Thoma isn't too far behind them, gaaaaah ;_;

Anywaaaay - a little bird has given me this letter. Come on, I know you're curious. Now who is it from? :3 ♥

Actinium,

We have known each other for a little while now and there is something I finally need to come clean about.

The day we first met you were sitting on the porch of your little house in Konda Village, listening to the rain and humming a little tune to yourself. Scattered on the ground In front of you were various books and you were flipping through the pages of one of them on your lap. I found myself entranced by your beauty and reminiscing that moment over and over in my head brings me serenity till this day.

When I had approached you and asked you what you were reading you had jumped up, bowed down and excused yourself for being so inconsiderate towards me. Recalling this now inevitably brings a smile to my face - because honestly, back then it should’ve been me who bowed down in front of you.

Sometimes I’m plagued by doubts about the feelings I harbour for you as I do not wish to expose you to the matters of politics that afflict my everyday life and the fickle and petty burdens that would come with it, because deep down I feel you deserve something better. But at the same time I want to be egoistic for once because depite all that, I want you to be mine and I want to be yours. 

I want to fall asleep next to you at night and wake up next to you in the mornings, I want to sing along to your favorite songs with you and sit together outside and watch the clouds pass by.

I cannot stop smiling whenever I think of you and every time before we meet I feel this strong prickling sensation in my chest, the one that makes it hard to breathe because I have all these feelings locked up inside of me that are threatening to burst out and I don’t know where to put them.

You’ve told me I’ve become one of your best friends but I cannot deal with the thought any longer that I’m just one of many - That I am one that has to compete with others for your affection, when I want to be the one you want to come home to every day.

I love you, I always will.

Ayato

[loosesodamarble]

Hi, Soda!! How are you? I hope you've been taking care of yourself. ♡ You're someone very sweet and thoughtful, I really enjoy and treasure your presence. That's the main reason why I follow you, but I also admire a lot the way you somehow make all of your posts interesting, creative and impeccable. <3

- ghost anon

Ghost Anon! Hello there!

I'm doing amazingly right now actually! My classes and final assignments have come to a close and so I'm free from school! Kksafhsriutsrb! I'm so excited about that! Hopefully now that I don't have classes and homework, I'll have more time to do... other stuff! Ha ha!

Taking care of myself... uh... Well the stress of school didn't make that easy but things are looking up!

Ajhflishtirstkjsrthaks! Aaaaaaaaaaaw~! 💖

Oh Ghost Anon! You're always the sweetest! Thank you thank you thank you! You are one of the sweetest people in my inbox. Thanks for following~! (Though now I wonder which blog following me belongs to you./j Not really, I'll let you have your secrets, genuinely.)

Gaaaaah klaktauhsrtih! 🥺💖🥰

Maybe my overthinking is good for something! Interesting posts!/lh+j But I do try. Some things are just to indulge myself and other posts are me genuinely thinking “yeah, others could find this interesting/funny.” This blog is mostly for myself (all the reblogged dresses 🤩) but also, I like sharing the ideas that I have with others in hopes that someone else likes them.

Ghost Anon, thank you again for your positivity and kindness! You are a true sweetheart.

To you, and anyone else who sees this post, please take care of yourself. Find one thing to smile about today. Eat and drink as necessary. Relax and rest as you please. I wish you well.

[dreamy625]

This rockstar life - 1.3 Met a boy cute as can be

Words: 453

Content: Swearing

-----------------------------

“Hello?”

“Hey Jess. How are you?”

“Ali? You okay?” 

“Err, yes? Why, what have you heard?”

“Well, Mum said you were back in the clinic again.”

“Well yes, but I’m fine, totally, they’re letting me out next week.”

“Oh, well, that’s good.”

“Anyway, so, I met a boy!”

“Right.”

“He was in my group therapy.”

“You met a boy in the hospital?! Really? Don’t they have rules against that?”

“I just talked to him. No smooching! But he’s just...he’s just so sweet. And so talented. And he’s sort of famous!”

“Uh huh. What sort of famous?”

“He’s a guitarist. In a band. They’re, like, huge. They’ve been on Top of the Pops.”

“Okaaaay.”

“No really, I swear I’m not having a psychotic episode. He really is in Def Leppard.”

“I have actually heard of them. And he’s..?”

“The guitarist. One of the guitarists. The tall one. Steve.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for him. But Ali, what’s he doing in the clinic?”

“He, er, drinks. And you know, bad brain stuff.”

“Oh Ali. Do you really want to get mixed up in that? You have enough problems of your own. And I thought you were off men, after the last one?”

“I didn’t mean to. He was just there, and…yeah.”

“And does he, uh, return your affections?”

“I think so? Maybe? Oh god, I don’t know. He gave me his phone number when he left. But I’m too scared to call it.”

“Well maybe you should wait a while, at least until you get out of there. Get some perspective. See how you feel in a few weeks, when you’re back to your actual life and stable on your meds. Yeah? What do you think?”

“I think that if I don’t get to kiss him I will actually die.”

“Oh. Then fuck it, you’d better call him!”

“Haha. Jess! You were being so sensible, and now you’ve ruined it!”

“Well what do I know? I’m not your mother! It probably won’t be the worst decision you’ve ever made. Unless he’s a serial killer or something. Or you get pregnant. Oh, god, don’t get pregnant!”

“I may have skipped a lot of biology classes, but I don’t think you can over the phone?!”

“Don’t be glib. You know what I mean. Be careful!”

“I will be careful. Gaaaaah. I can’t call him! What if he’s forgotten who I am?”

“When did he leave?”

“Three days ago.”

“Then there’s a tiny chance he still remembers you. Call him now!”

“I can’t, I’m only allowed one call a day and this is it. Also, ‘no contact between residents or others in treatment’.”

“Will they know?”

“Not unless the phone’s bugged.”

“Tomorrow then?”

“Tomorrow.”

(November 1989)

[tk-writer]

Jealous. [Haikyuu!! - Tsukkiyama]

Tsukishima fights an intense ler mood at practice one day when he sees Yamaguchi and Nishinoya messing around.

Word count: 2693

hi there! i stole this idea from That One Scene in the baseball anime Ookiku Furikabutte (Big Windup!) i’d link it here but of course i can’t find the post with the video kajsfhajks. anyway, here’s tsukishima with a Phat(™) ass ler mood & cute boi Yamaguchi as tribute. enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsukishima could barely focus during practice that day, and it was all Yamaguchi’s fault.

The blonde barely uttered a word that afternoon, even when his fellow teammates addressed him directly. They figured he was finally taking the game seriously for once, not wanting to get left behind as the rest of them soared to greater heights. But in truth, volleyball was the furthest thing from his mind.

His thoughts - and his heart - were set on his childhood best friend, whose antics that day made it impossible to focus on read blocking, on spiking, on anything. All because of that stupidly infectious laugh of his.

While Tsukishima was taking a quick break, his steely eyes fixated on his freckled friend as he got ready for another round of serving practice. Lately he'd been flopping most of his jump floats, so today he had dedicated almost all of his time to perfecting them. He was working harder than almost anyone else, which earned him Tsukishima’s respect even though he never said it aloud.

However, instead of heading to the court to take his place, Tsukishima saw him walk towards Nishinoya with cheeks ablaze. His ears perked up as he caught the tail end of their conversation, finding it difficult to pull his attention elsewhere.

“Hey, uh… Nishinoya?”

“What's up?”

“Can you… umm… do ‘it’ again?”

Nishinoya tilted his head in confusion, but beamed with joy when he realized what Yamaguchi was asking.

“Ohh, you want me to do ‘it’ to help you relax?”

“Uhm, y... yes, please!”

“Alrighty! Lift up your arms! Hehehe…”

Tsukishima had a gut feeling about what was coming next and turned away before anyone could notice the blush creeping across his own cheeks. 

A couple seconds passed before an all-too familiar laugh rang out through the gymnasium, capturing the attention of all but one blonde haired blocker who refused to look. An unfamiliar emotion swirled in the pit of his stomach, one he couldn't put a name to until much later when the two of them were alone.

“-Aheeheehaha! Gaaaaah!”

“Stop moving around so much! You’re making it difficult!”

“I cahahahahan’t!!”

Their fun was soon interrupted by the team captain, who was less than pleased to see his juniors messing around once again. As soon as the two underclassmen heard Daichi’s stern voice yelling at them from the court, they froze up and stood at attention.

“Stop fooling around you two! Yamaguchi, get out here and serve already!”

“Right! Sorry!!”

The pinch server regained what composure he could before racing out to the court while Nishinoya zoomed over to the other side. Tsukishima watched in disbelief as his friend took a deep breath, got a running start, and then successfully completed a perfect jump float, one that even Nishinoya couldn’t receive. 

So that ‘it’ thing really worked, huh? He tried his best to fight the smile creeping across his face, kicking himself mentally for being so soft. Seeing that unfold before him was so lame, so ridiculous, so undeniably and indisputably...

…adorable.

Nishinoya ran up and gave his teammate a double high five, then poked him in the ribs to throw him off. Yamaguchi doubled over, clutching his sides while his high pitched laughter floated through the air. 

Tsukishima pretended not to notice.

He saw it happen again later, while Yamaguchi was sitting next to Suga on the bench during break. The third year was much more subtle about it, doing sneaky things like poking his side repeatedly and whispering mean teases in his ear. Tsukishima could make out a few words here and there scattered in between Yamaguchi’s tittered giggles. The first year was doing his best to stay quiet, clamping a hand over his mouth while he squirmed in place, probably to save himself the embarrassment. 

Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder, trying not to make it too obvious he was watching.

“...does it tickle here?”

“Pfffft, bahahaha!”

“...here… or what about here…?”

“Eheheheehee! Sugaaaa!”

He couldn’t tell which was worse. Suga’s soft, yet sadistic teasing, or Yamaguchi’s breathless begging. Watching his nose scrunch up, bunching the scattered freckles across his face together while he threw back his head and finally erupted into full blown belly laughs. It was all too much for the middle blocker. In his head, a single sentence repeated itself over and over again like a mantra for the rest of his time at practice, one he couldn’t ignore no matter how much he tried to repress it:

I should be the one getting him.

~~~~~

When the sun began to dip under the horizon, the two of them left the gymnasium together and walked side by side as they headed home, like they always did after practice. Tsukishima was as quiet as ever, still mulling to himself while Yamaguchi tried making small talk. He didn’t really register what he was saying, as his mind was still replaying the scenes from earlier. He was so deep in thought that he barely heard his friend calling his name.

“...Tsukki? Earth to Tsukki! Helloooooo?”

The blonde perked up, finally coming back to reality. Yamaguchi was staring at him with his big, brown eyes, like a puppy dog seeking attention from its master. He thought about the way he squeezed them shut when Nishinoya tickled his sides, and then how sweet his giggles sounded when Suga was poking him. He thought about how much he wanted to hear him laugh like that again, right here, right now.

He couldn’t deny it any longer. He really, really wanted to tickle Yamaguchi.

Without saying a word, Tsukishima slapped the back of his neck and began to give him gentle squeezes. 

“Aaaaaah! Tsukkiiiii!”

Yamaguchi’s reaction was as predictable as always. He raised his arms to try and grab Tsukki’s hands, leaving his midsection wide open for an attack. The middle blocker jabbed into his sides, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly in amusement while Yamaguchi tried to fight the tickles from both ends. It was funny how much those subtle touches affected him. No wonder everyone else on the team enjoyed teasing him so much.

“Are you still spending the night tonight?” He asked, keeping a straight face as he feigned ignorance to Yamaguchi’s suffering.

“Ahahaha! I already said yeahahahaha!”

He gave him a few more rapid squeezes before letting him go. Yamaguchi let out a few more breathy laughs, then immediately started to whine, but it went unnoticed by a brooding Tsukki. He was still unsatisfied, but this little taste was enough to blow him over until they reached his house. Maybe then he’d feel a bit more bold.

~~~~~

As soon as they got back to Tsukishima’s place, they kicked off their shoes and went straight for the couch to watch some stupid TV shows. It was a Friday night, and they basically had the place to themselves since the rest of his family was out of town. Yamaguchi sat on one end of the couch, shoving fistfuls of cheese-itz into his mouth while Tsukishima sat on the other end, looking bored as ever as some dumb cartoon episode played on the screen. In reality, he was using all of his willpower to fight back his embarrassing little urge. His fingers twitched in place, tapping against the arm of the couch incessantly as if relieving pent up energy.

“Hey,” he said after an hour or so of silence.

“Yeah?” Yamaguchi mumbled with a mouthful of cheese.

“What was up with that whole ‘it’ thing earlier,” he asked casually, hoping his curiosity wouldn’t betray him.

“Huh?” Yamaguchi gulped down his cheesy snack. “Oh! You mean…”

He trailed off, the end of his sentence barely audible. Tsukishima noticed a pinkish hue forming on his cheeks as his gaze fell to the floor. It complimented his freckles quite nicely. God, why did he have to be so cute?

“Uh, well… Nishinoya suggested it ‘cause I kept getting nervous, and he said it could help me relax…”

“Uh huh. Did it work?”

“Actually, yeah! I felt like it helped loosen me up.”

“Uh huh.”

There was a brief moment of awkward silence that fell between them before Yamaguchi spoke up again.

“Uh, why do you ask?”

“You know,” Tsukishima said, leaning over his friend who was sprawled out across the cushions. “You can ask me. If you ever want ‘it’.”

“Wha, what?!”

Tsukki grabbed both of his wrists and held them down firmly, with little resistance from the pinch server who stared at him with a dumbfounded look, as if he hadn’t expected this to happen at all. He donned his most convincing poker face, hoping it was enough to mask his nervousness. His heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was climbing up his throat. There was no going back now.

“Tsukki…? What, what are you doing?!”

“Do you like it?”

“...Huh? Like what?”

Tsukki flashed a knowing smirk before he asked his next question.

“Do you like being tickled?”

There it was. He managed to spit it out, after all, as much as he hated saying that word. It looked like it bothered Yamaguchi just as much, who was already writhing beneath him.

“Whahahat?! Me? Wh, why do you ask?!”

He was giving  himself away with his nervous laughter and skittish babbling. Tsukishima hadn’t touched him at all, and he was already so worked up. His smirk turned into a grin as he shuffled the trapped wrists into one hand and hovered the other over his head. 

He was really going to enjoy this.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Yamaguchi pulled weakly at his trapped arms, not really trying to get away but not surrendering either. He wiggled with what little room he had, and the sight made Tsukishima even more eager to get started. He noticed that the hem of his shirt had ridden up, exposing a bit of his belly button, and snuck his hand underneath so that it rested against his bare skin. It felt warm in his palms, and it twitched a lot just from the slight movement of his hand.

“Ehehehe, Tsukki!! Wait!!”

“Not gonna answer? Mmmk.”

Unable to hold out any longer, Tsukishima wisped the tips of his fingers against Yamaguchi’s stomach. His skin was soft to touch and quivered like jello. The freckly-faced boy squealed loudly, arching his back and pushing himself further into Tsukishima’s hand. The blonde couldn’t help but smile; only he knew how weak his friend was to light tickles, and he was going to exploit that fact for as long as he could.

“Tsukeeheeheehee!! Wahahahahit!!”

“It's really obvious that you like it,” Tsukishima stated matter-of-factly, continuing to spider in a circular motion around his navel. “You were so shy about asking, and you never said stop.” He moved towards his side, raking the entire length of his waist as Yamaguchi shrieked, squirmed, and protested. His torso bounced up and down like he was on a trampoline, contorting himself as much as he could with what little room he had to move. He accidentally brushed against his hip and remembered how bad it was there once Yamaguchi shrieked in ticklish agony.

“Ahahahaha, nghhhh, noHOHOHO NOT THEHEHERE!!”

“Not where? Here? You mean your hips? You’re really weak there, aren’t you?”

Tsukishima proved himself by tickling that hyper-sensitive area, putting his thumb in the crease of his thigh while his other four fingers dug into the side of his hip. Yamaguchi bucked his hips in response, involuntarily trying to shake him off but instead pushing himself further into the blonde’s grip once again. His laughter was bubbly and wild, jumping through multiple octaves until he lost his energy and fell into silent laughter. That’s when Tsukishima knew he was getting to him. He eased up, still stroking the waist of his shorts but at a much slower pace so he could catch his breath.

“Such a big reaction from a little touch,” he whispered, ghosting his fingers up his chest until they reached his collarbones. He fluttered against them with a feather-light touch, relishing Yamaguchi’s small squeaks and flinches. He climbed further, skittering the backs of his nails against his neck while the pinch server shook his head from side to side. He tried fighting back his giggles, but they burst through despite his best efforts.

“NgghhaahAHAHAHAHA! Pleeeeease! Tsukeeheehee!”

Tsukishima moved up to his ears, jumping from one to the other as he nearly tickled his friend to hysterics. Every time he turned his head, he’d just go to the other, making it impossible to shake him off. Yamaguchi was unable to form words, once again succumbing to silent laughter. 

“What’s wrong? Can’t talk? Maybe this will help,” Tsuki poked one of his underarms and nearly got bucked off the couch from how violently Yamaguchi thrashed. After grounding himself a bit more steadily, he focused his efforts on this new spot, poking the center of his pit again and again while his friend convulsed beneath him. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he tried hiding his face in one arm, perhaps from shyness or embarrassment. That just made Tsukki poke his other armpit, which elicited another goofy cackle from the trapped server.

He kept it up for several more minutes until Yamaguchi’s face was bright red and his giggles turned into wheezes. Tsukki gave him a few seconds of respite, allowing him to catch his breath before things got too intense. He put his hand on his stomach again and lazily traced random patterns into his trembling skin.

“I don't think it's lame, by the way,” he said, tracing a line from one side to the other while the brunette snickered from the light touch. “You can ask me whenever.”

“Aheeheehee… aha! ...I… I cahahan?”

“Yeah. Just don't be weird about it,” Tsukishima released him at long last, taking a moment to enjoy the blushing, disheveled sight that was Yamaguchi. The guy had curled himself into a ball in case Tsukishima decided to attack again and was still giggling, even now when Tsukki was at least a foot away.

“So… you don’t think I’m lame?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned about what his friend thought of him. The blonde shrugged his shoulders, acting nonchalant while his insides fluttered like butterflies.

“Nah. You’re a pretty cool guy. I guess.”

Yamaguchi sounded a bit hoarse, so Tsukki went to the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water. He chugged it down so fast he started coughing, and Tsukki rubbed circles in his back until he was breathing normally again. 

“Wait… why were you watching me so much at practice?” the brunette suddenly asked while staring at his friend, who looked quite taken aback from the unexpected question.

“I wasn’t. I just…”

“Hold on! You were jealous, weren’t you? Did you wanna do ‘it’ to me at practice? Did ya? Did ya?” Yamaguchi poked at his friend’s ribs, moreso to annoy him than get a reaction, and luckily the blonde was able to stifle his own vocalization. He slapped away his hand and furrowed his brows in a fake display of annoyance.

“Stop. And how bold of you to assume I was focusing all my attention on you, dummy.”

Seeing him don a shit-eating grin only spurred Tsukki’s irritation on. He felt his own cheeks burn with humiliation now that he’d been discovered. It wasn’t often that Yamaguchi got the best of him, and when he did, he made sure to rub it in as much as he could. 

“Awww, Tsukki!! If you wanna tickle me that bad, you can just ask too!”

“Shut up. And don’t say that. It’s embarrassing. For you, I mean.”

“Hehe, what's the matter Tsukki? Can't say it? You can't say t-EHEHEHEHEE NOOOOOO! Please no I'm sohahahahree!!!”

Yamaguchi spluttered out pleas for mercy through more wild laughter as Tsukki latched onto his sides, tickling with much more ferocity than before. They stayed there for a while longer, just enjoying their closeness now that both of their little secrets were out in the open. Yamaguchi’s laugh rang out like musical notes, filling the house with a wonderful, heartwarming sound.

And for once, Tsukki actually laughed along with him.

[7-seasof-fandom]

Imposter

(A fic about trans Five)

The Girl was known for being all sunshine and rainbows. She was known for sweet comments and doing everything with a feminine elegance alike to her sister. It was truly a beautiful image, one which didn't at all represent The Boy behind it.

Everyone else, including their father, knew him as The Girl, but his siblings knew him as The Boy, as Five. Well, Five was nothing like the fairytale of a supergirl their father wanted to present him as. Five was all blunt truths, sarcastic remarks, math solutions and bragging... a lot of bragging. Which, none of it had anything to do with his gender, yet their father insisted on changing even that about him.

Five would like to think that he didn't need his father's approval. He didn't care for it, yet there was this empty feeling in his chest whenever he read another comic with The Girl. A weird alienation as he managed to recognize all of his siblings in the words and images on the pages, but in his place was a stranger. The perfect daughter and superhero, a girl who was as elegant and charming as Allison. A girl who Five had never been and never would be. Didn't want to be, but then again, this feeling kept gnawing at his chest, telling him that he had to be for his father. He needed to be what his father so obviously wanted. Five had tried, he'd really tried, but it just never really worked...

He liked skirts, so that was something he was doing right and his dad wouldn't even allow him to wear anything else anyways, but he was way too aware of the signal he was sending when wearing them, way too aware of how it made everyone see him and so, he ended up stealing shorts from the other boys, or, one time just refused to wear skirts. If he couldn't wear pants, he wouldn't wear anything, which was when his dad found out about the pair of boxer shorts Klaus had been so kind to gift him and he was quickly forced to get rid of those and had to then deal with a long lesson about how it wasn't lady like to pull a stunt like that and that then turned into a lesson on not listening to authority.

Overall, it seemed that his father saw this as nothing else than Five challenging his authority. Father had said that number 5 was a girl, and so, he was a girl. It was simple. It should be easy to understand and Five couldn't help but feel frustrated with himself over the fact that he couldn't. He couldn't just understand that. Why couldn't he? His father seemed equally frustrated, with the exact same question on his mind.

Five let out a scream of frustration as The Girl had to mock even his smart jokes by replacing them with a sugar sweet, princess-y comment. He threw the comic across the room, not even caring that his father would be furious if it got damaged. Vanya gave him a sympathetic look over the edge of the book she was reading, but didn't say anything, which he greatly appreciated. He sat there for a whole, seething in his rage before he heard a laugh. Looking up, he saw that Klaus had picked up the insulting comic and was now reading it. Five stared daggers at him, having a nagging feeling that he knew exactly who, Klaus was laughing at. Klaus looked up, noticing his brother's glare. He shook his head, a small smile playing at the edge of his lips. "Fivey, I don't think dad has met you." Five blinked at the weird remark, not really knowing what else to say he just let out a "huh?".

Klaus looked back at whatever page he was on. "Oh, I don't know, I just get the feeling someone should inform dad that apparently someone has been impersonating you all these years and that he's obviously been training with the wrong number Five." He said, with a shrug, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Five stared at him for a moment, not entirely sure how to respond. "I mean," Klaus continued, determined to get the reaction he wanted. "Dad has just been training some random girl all of those years? You're not even a girl, so there's not way that she's you. And no one knows who she is?? That's quite a security breach, don't you think?" Klaus said in a very serious and dramatic tone. Five let out a snort at Klaus somber expression, which quickly vanished as a bright smile split his face. He'd gotten the wanted reaction.

"Now, Fivey, I don't know about you, but I think dear daddy would be very appreciative if we go look for this horrible imposter. My bet is on that she likes donuts..." Klaus blinked to him and Five couldn't help but smile. "Well, we better go look for her then?" Five suggested, finally realizing where Klaus was going with this, he eagerly jumped off the couch. Ignoring the worried look Vanya shot them.

"I like your thinking, brother." Klaus said, hitting him friendly on the shoulder as Five tried to be casual about the wave of happiness washing over him at the word. Brother. It just... felt so right. It felt good. Way better than the fleeting approval of their father. "Hey, Vanya, will you be joining us on this fine evening?" Klaus asked, playfully. Vanya looked at Five hesitantly, before jumping up herself. "Better make sure you boys don't get yourself killed." She laughed. Boys. Five playfully pushed her shoulder, but he couldn't be more thankful to both of them for understanding him.

_________________________

Gaaaaah, this means a lot to me and is kinda personal and idk... it just means a lot, so I hope you guys enjoyed it!!

If I need to tag any triggers pls let me know??

As always, feedback and constructive criticism is much welcome and appreciated :)

[amenomiko]

Thank you for the request @maeko-kun

Monkey See Monkey Do (Kasugayama)

Kenshin - Bunny Magnet and Love for the Same Food

"Yukimura. It's me. I have a letter for you."

"Oh, thanks-- BUARGHHH \(OAO)/ 🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇!!!!"

Before the poor latter could slide the door open completely, he was swarmed with hundreds of bunnies, jumping all over his room and onto his body. Mercilessly.

"My, they followed me again it seems (ू•ᴗ•ू❁)."

"Again?? Just what-- is this Kenshin-sama's pets?"

"I think so. I don't know myself (´・ｪ・｀). Oh well. Let's go bunnies!"

There she goes, and the scene of jumping bunnies plays again but this time one of them unconsciously hop ON the middle of Yukimura's legs, creating a girlish scream right at that moment.

Well, to Yukimura's disbelief, those bunnies are not Kenshin's, but her own. Due to becoming such lord's wife, maybe his "Bunny Magnet" has go its way to her. Also..

"Anata..! I'm home (∩´∀`∩)💕~~ *Gasp!* You have bought a new sake?? Yay! Let's drink it with some plums that I just binge shopping shall we（人´∀`*)❤❤❤❤??"

That addiction too. Has made its way to her.

Shingen - Flirts Like Nobody's Business

Echigo Castle have a bunch of new recruits that day.

During their breaks during training, MC had brought over some refreshments for them, and was assisting Yukimura with their list of names.

"Let's see, so who is Yuuma Kei?"

One of the guys stands up with a salute, "It's me, My lady."

Her lips curved into a grin as she murmured, "My, we have a gentle looking recruit this season. Just like the meaning of his name." She poke his chin with a brush, "I'm looking forward to see you train, handsome." With a wink, she tap his nose before turning away casually, leaving a flustered human tomato behind.

"M-M-My lady-- how bold O///////o..!!"

It was contagious. The other recruits turned into tomatoes themselves.

"Hmm? What's wrong (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)?"

Kenshin has seen everything, and the moment Shingen appeared beside him, his neck is met with a cold sharpness of Himezuru's blade.

"What did I do??"

"What did you do? Hmh. She has become tainted thanks to you (눈‸눈)."

Yukimura - Tsundereness and Clueless

"(눈‸눈)...."

"(´・ｪ・｀)?"

It has been a good 10 minutes of staring and it slowly creep into Yukimura's focus. "What's wrong? Why are you staring like that?"

MC pursed her lips, and opening it to say something, only to press it tightly again. "N-nothing..! I just wanted to say that whenever you are focused on something you look so- so- s-so..!"

"So... What?"

"Hands..ome.. HORRIBLE OAO! YOU LOOK HORRIBLE! BAKA BAKA! YUKI YOU IDIOT OAO!!"

And she stomped off, head red like a steaming hot spring.

"What?? That wild boar OAO--"

*Later*

Sasuke has witnessed the moment, and he immediately approached MC after that.

"Are you guys fighting? Again?"

"No.. I just-- can't seem to be honest with him, and find myself getting more and more contrary lately."

"Hmm.. Maybe because you like him?"

"Me? Like Yuki?? Pssshh as if. I think he is just a friend. That's all. It's just that.. From time to time he is handsome. Yeah." With a shrug, she walk away from Sasuke who pulled out a note the moment she's out of sight.

"*Writes* Not only Tsundereness, but also clueless. This is severe indeed. I shall call this YukiVirus (´・ｪ・｀)✨."

Sasuke - Ninja Skills

"Gaaaaah!!! Why me???"

Maids and vassals alike were surprised with the chasing scene in front of them.

It was Kenshin, chasing Sasuke and Yukimura, with Shingen who was watching from the distance while eating his sweets.

"They are at it again. Hahah Kenshin-sama really love to do that."

"Still, that is dangerous. What if it hurts the Princess? She is currently carrying out her chatelaine duties if I'm not mistaken. But where is she..?"

Yukimura managed to ran out from the castle, while Sasuke is met with a dead end. "Ah. Wrong turn."

Kenshin chuckled grimly, and about to swing his sword...

When MC appeared out from one of the nearby trees, and throw a smoke bomb on the ground, then POOF!!! Smokes. Smokes everywhere.

"Run for it, Sasuke OAO!!"

"MC! My hero (´・д・｀)✨✨✨!"

"Tsk-- don't you dare running away from me, Sasuke!"

MC pushes Sasuke away, and in a mere second, she cupped Kenshin's cheeks. "Sasuke's CPR of 4 years ago's no jutsu OAO!!!"

*Chuuuuuuuu~~~~~❤❤❤❤❤❤*

Sasuke: *Froze from running*

Yukimura: *peek from the castle gate with a gasp*

Shingen: oAo *Dango fell from his mouth*

Kenshin's state: *Is kissed*

Vassals and Maids: EEEEEEHHHH Σ(°д°ﾉ)ﾉ??

...Wrong 'Jutsu' there.